Star Wars: Dark Droids Preview Released

Star Wars is shining a whole new kind of light on its droid characters – and it is a dark light indeed! 

Star Wars: Dark Droids is the new Star Wars comic book series Marvel Comics is going to be releasing in August, and the preview pages reveal how this new story is being built out of the recent events in the larger Star Wars comics universe, which include writer Charles Soule's "Qi'ra Trilogy" story arc, which included War of the Bounty Hunters, Crimson Reign, and Hidden Empire.  

(MILD SPOILERS) Lady Qi'ra returned to the galaxy during the Galactic Civil War (following events of The Empire Strikes Back). Qi'ra brought back a refitted version of Darth Maul's criminal organization Crimson Dawn, which became a secret army of spies, infiltrators and influencers, embedded in every organization in the galaxy. Qi'ra sowed conflict and disruption with one main goal: defeating the Sith Lords that she had learned were controlling the galaxy through the Empire. Part of her plan used an ancient piece of AI tech called the Spark Eternal, that an ancient race (the Ascendant cult) used to fight the Sith Order. In the aftermath of Qi'ra's failed uprising, the Spark Enternal escaped into a disc of tech even the Sith had banned from use, gaining new machine sentience as "The Scourge"

Well, the Star Wars Universe will see its droids become a nightmare army, when the Scourge finally takes control. 

What Is Star Wars: Dark Droids About?

As per Marvel Comics' description:

STAR WARS: DARK DROIDS will unfold in a main series by writer Charles Soule and artist Luke Ross, the team behind other STAR WARS comic crossover epics like WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS as well as a spinoff limited series, STAR WARS: DARK DROIDS – D-SQUAD, and tie into the four ongoing series that are currently bridging the gap between the films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi: STAR WARS, STAR WARS: DARTH VADER, STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA, and STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS.

The horror-fueled story promises to be unlike any told in Star Wars history, as droids of all allegiances and roles become highjacked by the new entity created by the merging of two technologies introduced in both DOCTOR APHRA (The Spark Eternal) and STAR WARS: HIDDEN EMPIRE. This terrifying threat was first teased in STAR WARS: REVELATIONS, which debuted Ajax Sigma, a warrior droid with free will whose attempt at a droid revolution was brutally crushed by the Jedi during the High Republic era.

Star Wars: Dark Droids #1 Preview

Star Wars: Dark Droids #1

A STAR WARS EPIC LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!

"SCOURGE OF THE DROIDS!" A STAR WARS EPIC LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE! Who or what is THE SCOURGE, and why is no droid safe? As a corruption spreads from one droid to the next THE REBELLION and THE EMPIRE face chaos! What role does AJAX SIGMA play in all of this? And whose side is he on? Find out when horror comes to a galaxy far, far away! Charles Soule continues his legendary run on STAR WARS with the most ambitious event in STAR WARS comics history! Joined by his WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS collaborator Luke Ross, the superstar team carves a new path for the future!

Written by: Charles Soule
Art by: Luke Ross, Alex Sinclair
Cover by: Leinil Francis Yu, Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Page Count: 36 Pages
Release Date: August 2, 2023